Commentary on Religion, Secular Humanism, Opera and Whatever Else Happens to Be in My Mind

Give Your Daughters to Sex Offender and Win an Award

Do you remember an incident that occurred some months ago in which Justin Harris, a “Christian” state representative from Arkansas, gave his adopted daughters to a sex offender who ended up abusing one of the girls? Well, he’s back and he’s getting an award!

The Family Research Council (FRC), who once employed Josh “I molested my sisters and a family friend, but god forgives me and so should you” Duggar, had planned to give Harris a “Power of Courage” award tonight for his role in passing legislation to make it more difficult for minors to bypass parental notification when seeking an abortion. Harris was originally supposed to get the award at a Lincoln Day Dinner put on by the Crawford County Republican Party, where Ted Cruz was to be the guest of honor, but someone behind the scenes must have realized how bad this would make them look, and canceled the event. Don’t worry, the FRC still plans on giving Harris an award for his purported courage, but the Crawford County Republican Party won’t have any official part of it.

When a reporter from the Arkansas Times asked Jerry Cox, head of the FRC, if he regretted giving Harris the award, given the disgraceful way Harris treated his adopted daughters, he replied, “None whatsoever, because the award is specifically for his sponsorship of one of the pro-life bills passed during the session … These awards are given to lawmakers for their sponsorship of specific legislation. That’s it.”

If you ever needed any evidence that the “pro-life” cause cares more about zygotes and fetuses than actual living, breathing children, this is all the evidence you need. From the FRC’s point of view, Harris’ attempts tried to save zygotes and fetuses were “courageous,” while the fact that he foisted off his adopted daughters on the first sex offender who came calling like a Law and Order: SVU villain is hardly worth thinking about. Given that having an anti-abortion stance is de rigueur in the Republican Party, especially in the South, Harris’ views on the subject are hardly “courageous,” because all of his colleagues share them. Having real courage means doing the hard things because it’s right, such as ensuring that one’s children are well-cared for, even when they exhibit challenging behaviors. If Harris felt like he wasn’t capable of taking care of his adopted daughters any longer, there were proper, legal channels he could have taken, rather than getting rid of them like they were soiled furniture. “Rehoming” was the most cowardly thing Harris could have done.

But to be fair, it is “Biblical” to sell your daughter into slavery, which could explain why the FRC is so nonchalant about Harris’ “rehoming” scandal:

When a man sells his daughter as a slave, she will not be freed at the end of six years as the men are.8 If she does not satisfy her owner, he must allow her to be bought back again. But he is not allowed to sell her to foreigners, since he is the one who broke the contract with her.9 But if the slave’s owner arranges for her to marry his son, he may no longer treat her as a slave but as a daughter.

10 “If a man who has married a slave wife takes another wife for himself, he must not neglect the rights of the first wife to food, clothing, and sexual intimacy.11 If he fails in any of these three obligations, she may leave as a free woman without making any payment. (Exodus 21: 7-11, New Living Translation)

From the FRC’s perspective, all that matters is that Harris’ former adopted daughters weren’t aborted. Since they’re actually born, they’re on their own.